Retail website CafePress is tracking sales associated with the presidential candidates in its "election meter."

cafepress.com

Listen

Listening...

/

Originally published on November 25, 2011 3:18 am

At NPR, we know a thing or two about promotional merchandise. After all, we invented the Nina Totin' Bag and the Carl Kasell Autograph Pillow. So, on this Black Friday, White House correspondent Scott Horsley presents the NPR guide to campaign swag.

Not long ago, President Obama's re-election campaign sent out an email, advertising its 2012 merchandise and urging supporters to stock up for the holidays. Not to be outdone, the Republican White House candidates are hawking their own ballcaps and bumper stickers.

While the Iowa and New Hampshire contests are still weeks away, the T-shirt primary is already in progress. Americans have been voting with their pocketbooks at retail websites like CafePress and Zazzle.

"We've always thought that our website is really the democratization of commerce in general. With respect to election gear, we see that for sure," says Melanie Sherk, a vice president at Zazzle, which sells thousands of customized products — many with designs promoting or attacking the various presidential candidates.

The company's sales offer a rough indicator of which way the political winds are blowing.

"I think our sales generally track the 'buzziness' of the candidate," Sherk says. "So as candidates are either surging in popularity or if there's particular sentiment against the candidate, that's what we see."

The CafePress website now features an "election meter" so you can track the sales associated with candidates.

Newt Gingrich is enjoying a good run right now. But he hasn't caught up with Ron Paul's T-shirt sales.

Josh Neuman of Zazzle says Paul is a consistent seller there, too.

"He's actually the second-most-trafficked candidate, after Obama," Neuman says. "His fans are just sort of crazy in some ways. Just fanatics."

The candidates try to grab a piece of this action themselves by selling merchandise on their own websites, though it's often not as creative as what's offered by independent designers. Sure, there's a Mitt Romney hoodie. And a travel mug for the well-traveled Jon Huntsman.

But where's the Michele Bachmann china for your own tea party? Or the Gingrich campaign ornament, designed by Tiffany's? Or the Herman Cain Atlas of the World, priced to move at $9.99?

Honest Abe's souvenir shop in Washington is just across the street from the wax presidents display at Madame Tussauds. Manager Freddie Vinoya says the souvenir store used to be filled with merchandise celebrating Obama.

"We stocked more before. After the inauguration, we got a lot of Obama-related items," he says.

Nowadays, there are only a few presidential refrigerator magnets and bobblehead dolls on the shelves, along with a commemorative plate featuring Michelle Obama — probably meant to be a salad plate.

Vinoya just unpacked his first batch of 2012 Obama T-shirts. The "Hope" slogan has been replaced by a message about tough times requiring a wise leader, and a somber-looking picture of the president.

Vinoya's still waiting for his first shipment of Republican campaign gear. It's hard to know which candidates to include from week to week.

Maybe that's why there's a deck of playing cards featuring candidates and also-rans with the slogan, "Every one's a wild card."

Copyright 2013 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

Transcript

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

Not long ago, President Obama's reelection campaign sent out an email advertising its 2012 merchandise and urging supporters to stock up for the holidays. Not to be outdone, the Republican White House candidates are hawking their own ball caps and bumper stickers.

Now, we here at NPR know a thing or two about promotional merchandise - your mugs, your tote bags. After all, we invented the Nina Totin' Bag, and the Carl Kasell Autograph Pillow.

So on this Black Friday, Scott Horsley presents the NPR guide to campaign swag.

SCOTT HORSLEY, BYLINE: Iowa and New Hampshire get all the attention. But the T-shirt primary is already underway. And Americans have been voting with their pocketbooks at retail websites like CafePress and Zazzle.

MELANIE SHERK: We've always thought that our website is really the democratization of commerce in general. With respect to election gear, we see that for sure.

HORSLEY: Melanie Sherk is a vice president at Zazzle, which sells thousands of customized products, many with designs promoting or attacking the various presidential candidates. The company's sales offer a rough indicator of which way the political winds are blowing.

SHERK: I think our sales generally track the buzziness of the candidate. So, as candidates are either surging in popularity or if there's particular sentiment against the candidate, that's what we see.

HORSLEY: The CafePress website now features an election meter so you can track the sales associated with a candidate. Newt Gingrich is enjoying a good run right now. But he still hasn't caught up with Ron Paul's T-shirt sales. Paul is a consistent seller on Zazzle as well, says that company's Josh Neuman.

JOSH NEUMAN: He's actually the second-most trafficked candidate, after Obama. His fans are just sort of crazy, in some ways, and just fanatics.

HORSLEY: The candidates try to grab a piece of this action themselves, by selling merchandise on their own websites, though often it's not as creative as what's offered by the independent designers. Sure, there's a Mitt Romney hoodie. And a travel mug for the well-traveled Jon Huntsman. But where's the Michele Bachmann china for your own tea party? Or the Newt Gingrich campaign ornament, designed by Tiffany's? Or the Herman Cain Atlas of the World, priced to move at 9.99?

What about old fashioned brick-and-mortar retailers? Honest Abe's Souvenir Shop in Washington, is just across the street from the wax presidents display at Madame Tussaud's. Manager Freddie Vinoya says the souvenir store used to be filled with merchandise celebrating President Obama.

FREDDIE VINOYA: Well, we stocked more before, after the inauguration. We got a lot of Obama-related items.

HORSLEY: Nowadays, there are only a few presidential refrigerator magnets and bobble-head dolls on the shelves, along with a commemorative plate featuring Michelle Obama. It's probably meant to be a salad plate.

Vinoya just unpacked his first batch of 2012 Obama T-shirts. The Hope slogan has been replaced by a message about tough times requiring a wise leader and a somber-looking picture of the president.

VINOYA: They put seriously faces than last campaign. Last campaign is like very happy and, He Did It. I don't know this year.

HORSLEY: Vinoya is still waiting for his first shipment of Republican campaign gear.

It's hard to know which candidates to include or not include, from week to week. Maybe that's why there's a deck of playing cards featuring candidates and also-rans with the slogan: Every One's A Wild Card.